Respect for the principles of national sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of States in their electoral processes

Reiterates that all peoples have the right, freely and without external interference, to determine their political status, and to pursue their economic, social and cultural development and that every State has the duty to respect that right; reaffirms the right of peoples to establish institutions regarding electoral processes and that, consequently, States should ensure full and effective popular participation in those processes; also reaffirms that any activities that attempt, directly or indirectly, to interfere in the free development of national electoral processes, in particular in the developing countries, or that are intended to sway the results of such processes, violate the spirit and letter of the principles established in the Charter and in the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the Charter of the UN; further reaffirms that electoral assistance to Member States should be provided by the UN at the request of interested States, or in special circumstatnces such as cases of decolonization, or in the context of regional or international peace processes; strongly appeals to all States to refrain from financing politcal parties of groups in other States and taking action that undermines the electoral processes; condemns any act of armed aggression or threat or use of force against peoples, their elected Governments or their legitimate leaders

Adopted 91-59-10, 83rd meeting

2 p.

Adopted at the 83rd plenary meeting, 17 Dec. 1999.